Electric oiecuit connection foe signaling oe



l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

.J.'B.,SMITH. BLEGTRIG CIRCUIT 001111110171011 F011 SIGNALING 0R TELEPHONE BOXES.

Nn. 501,631. Patnted .my 18, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O J. E. SMITH. ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONNECTION FOR SIGNALINC OR TELEPHONE BOXES.

4Patented July 18,* 1893.

JOHN ELLIOT ASMITH, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRiC-CIRCUIT CONNECTION \FOR SiGNALlNG OR 'TELEPHONE BOXES.

srncxncn'rxon forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,631, cateo July 18, 1893.

Application tiled February 24, l893.\ Serial No. 46)3,537 (No model.)A

To ctZZ whom 'it 11mg/ conceive.-

Be it known that l, JOHN ELLIOT SnirH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and State of `New York, have invented an Improvement in Electric-Circuit Connections for Signaling or Telephone Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

ln tire alarm systems, signal boxes have' been located in different places, in order that calls may be sent to a central station toJindil cate the place of the fire, and a box adapted to this duty is'represcnted in my Patent No.

f 343,738, granted June 15, 1886.

My present improvement relates especially to a peculiar circuit connection for telephones or other purposes and to the arrangement of the circuits whereby such telephonie or other circuits are not liable to be interfered with y by thevfire alarm signals; also to the lcircuit;

connections for transmitting alarms from a given box upon two separate and independ- ,v ent circuits, thus lessening the risk of loss of ywith the door. of the signal box closed, and

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrative of thecireuits.

The fire alarm signal box with which this improvement is used muy be of any desired character. The box shown in my aforesaid Patent No. 34:3,75b isespecially adapted to ism that gives motion to the circuit: wheels] the present improvements, and l have represented portionsthereof sufficient to illustrate the mode of use.

In the hinged door l) of the box 1)' is a slot through which passes a hook l) connected to a slide Diwithin the door with astnd--or rol-ler 1) that is caused to move the winding 'arm E and this winds up the spring and mechanl, s'o aste transmit the signal whenever lthe hoek D" is pulled down, and there is a finger key U and two switches Y Y with their rcspective contact plates bywhich aground I'connection can be made with either side of the line in case of a breakin the-metallic cirmu aneously or uearlipso.

on the same circuit being operated ,simulta- `neouslyvor nearly so is reduced toamini-` l cuit. The bell M of the electro-magnet M is rung byy the circuit preserving finger keyy U and\s'aid electro-magnet is also adapted'toe- 5 5 ceiving return signals. miese parts ape all substantially the same as in myaforesai'd/ Letters Patent, except some ofthe ciizenit'connectiens as hereinafter described and therefore do not require'fmtherdescription, and 6c theyare illustra/tirent any' signal box with which my improvement is adapted to be used.

In :electricAv circuits heretofore employed `with fire alar/m sigri'als, the circuits are arranged-to prevent if possible a confusion of signals, because iftwo boxes in the innnedia'te vicinityv of a fire wereon the same metallic circuit, the signals might be mutilated in' consequence of the two ho'olts being pulledsi- To avoid this it is isual to provide two or more metallic cir--y cuits in the same l,neighborhood and to connect the signal boxes into such circuits so that two boxes tha/tare near each otherare not ou the same c/ireuit. In the diagranx-1 `ig.5,'l have illustrated this feature Iofythe circuit connections. Let represent one-.metallic circuit and 3 a second metalliceircuit. The primary portion of the signal box, say at station t3, will he connected in the circuit. S, and the primary portion of the next signa-l box, say 45, will be inthe circuit and a third or more distantbox 4l will be in the circuit 3, and so on; hence the risk oftwo signal boxes mum:I lf new an effort were madcto intro` duce a telephone or other instrument into either of the circuits, it might interfere with the call signal by the belllli or the use of the 9o linger hey at the signalbox. To. avoid these dillieulties l lead both circuitsl tland'3 to all I thc boxes in the circuits, and Iuse the eircnit 3 for the primary call and the` circuit 2 for the telephone or other signal at the box l-. and the circuit 2 for the primaryealhnmlthe circuit 3 for'the telephone or other signaliat the next box i3, und so on, therebyprcventing the risk of the one interfering with the otherfand I do not increase the number yof the circuits to the signal boxes. "Y

In carrying out this invention l providela" circuit block lO, of insulating material, and itv is advantageously secured n the outermin- IOO closing case A of the signal box by a tubular screw 11, as seen in Fig. 4, and by making this block 10 tubular I am 'enabled .to lead the cable containing the wires of the two circuits through such block and the ends of the four wires are connected directlyl or interniediately to the posts or bindersfM, 15, 1G, 17. From the binders 14, 15,the circuit wires 89, 3l, lead to the posts for the wires 32 and 38, that pass to the switches V V', asin my.

said patent and the current passes from 3Q' to the circuit preserving key U, electro-magnet M and springs N on the circuit closing wheels I for sending out the Iire alarm. In `this case the metal rim ot' the circuit closing wheel I is insulated and both springs rest in their normal position on the metal, so that the circuit remains closed but it is broken by the notches ot the wheel breaking contact with one or both springs. Ilenee a lsign'al is sent out 4on the line at each revolution of the Wheel I. The binding posts 16 and 17 are in metallic contact with the clips 20vand 21 that pass around the block l0 and lap upon each other, so that in the normal condition the circuit is closed through 2O and 2l and there is in the metal clip 21, an arch or bow, bent up at 22 forming an opening into which the plug 23 of the telephone or other instrument can be thrust. This plug 23 is of two metallic parts insulated from each other as seen in Fig. 3, and it is tapering and one side is nearly flat. The other side fits the arch or bow so that the plug cannot be introduced in the wrong way, and when thrust in the clips 2O and 21 are separated as seen in Fig. 2, and the circuit is thereby completed and closed through the telephone or other instrument 30. This instrument and the plug can be easily carried in the pocket of thetfireman, so 'as to be used at any box wherever necessary. The circuit plug 23 is usually upon a tubular handle 25 through which the flexible conductors pass to the te1ephonc,and it is advantageous to employ a magneto telephone that can be used as either a transmitter or receiver. When the plug 23 is withdrawn the circuit is closed automatically by the spring of the clip 21. i

By the present improvement the fireman' can use the finger key to call up, the 'cen'tral station and the telephone being on another metallic circuit, will not interfere withl the fire alarm signals; and the telephone 'can be used on one circuit, and the iinger key and signaling apparatus on the other circuit may bemanipulatcd in the usual way.

In the foregoing description the circuits are set forth as they would operate if one wire of the cable were connected directly to the post 16, but for the purposes stated I usually carry one of the circuit Wires of the cable by the wire 50 within the box to one of the springs N on the circuit wheel I and use a second wire 51 from the other spring N to the binding post 17, thus making 51, N', I and 50 a part of the metallic circuit passing to the clip 2l. This does not interfere with the action of the'telephone because the circuit is nor-l arboras the wheel I and revolve with it, and

.the notches may correspond in both wheels, or they may be. different according to any prearranged code, or the wheel I may vbe revolved by any suitable mechanism at the same time as the wheel I, or at a different speed. iy this arrangement the wheel I will send-out its signal (at signal box 42) on the circuiti-3, and the Wheel I will simultaneously send out its signal upon the circuit 2; thus one fire alarm signal box will send out its signal to the main or central office over two separate and distinct metallic circuits without the risk of being mutilated, and should either circuit be injured or out ot' order, the signal sent would be understood at the main ofiice regardless of which circuit the pulsations may' come over, thus reducing the risk of error or failure t0 a minimum.

The signal sent out by the wheel I may properly be termed the primary signal, as all the other parts of the signaling apparatus are in the circuits leading thereto, and the signal sent out by the wheel I becomes the secondary signal as it is in another circuit and no other parts of the signaling box4 are in that circuit, but as aforesaid the provision for inserting a telephone is in that circuit.

I remark that the spring 9 rests on a stud in the metallic rim of the wheel I, and the springs U and U2 are pressed together when the door of the signaling box is closed. there are two routes for the primary signaling current through the box when the door is closed, and when the hook is pulled down and the winding arm is moved, the circuit is broken through 9, U and U2 by the pin on I separating from 9 before the pulsations are given by the springs N through 33, N, I, M, U and 39, andthe bell in the box is rung by the electro-magnet M, as well as lthe signal being sent to the central station.

lYhen the door is opened to give access to thefinger key U, the circuit to 9 is broken by the separation of the springs U', U2 and the manipulation of such key U gives the signals by breaking suclrcircuit; the telephone, however, is often the most convenient, rapid and reliable as a means for communicating with the central station, especially under the excitement incident to a fire.

In the present improvement the two metallic circuits are complete without any grounds. One of them has the usual circuit breaking wheel and finger key, and the other has the telephone as well as the second wheel. Then the signals are sent by the wheels over the two independent metallic routes one Hence or the other is nearly certain of correct record at the central station. This operation consumesl but a moment. If thc telephoncis placed inthe second circuit it can be used at the same time that the finger key andsignal bell are used at the same box, `but in thc other or iirst circuit. Thus each box is capable ofthe fourfold operations of sending ont two signals from the wheels over difterrn ent circuits and of sendingand receiving its vMorse or finger key signals at the same time that a telephone is' in use without one inter! fer-ing with the other.

I claim as my inventionll. The combination with the fire alarm sig- `:nal boxes and the signaling devices and the two metallic circuits leading to .the same, of a telephone instrument and circuit connecnections at each signal box, substantially as zo specified, for introducing the telephone at one signal box into the metallic circuit that passes to the signaling devices at a distant signaling box, substantially as set forth. y

2. The tubular circuit block 10 adapted to be connected' to the'signal box in combination l 'with the cable having thel wires vot the two `metallic circuits, the binding posts for the.

wires, and a signaling apparatus in the box and connections to two of the binding posts,

3efthe clips v2 and 21 connected to the other binding posts and adapted to receive between them the connections for a telephonie instrument, substantially as set forth.

3. The tubular insulating circuit block for 35 receiving the electric conductors, the spring clips 20,21 around" the block near one end and 'connected .with the' conductors for normally olosingthe circuit, there being a bow in one of the clips, a telephone or other in- 4ey strument and a tapering two-part plug adapted to be inserted between the clips to separate them and close the circuit. through the telephone or other instrument, substantially Aas set forth.

et. The combination in a signaling or lire alarm apparatus of signaling boxes, two independent metallic circuits leading throughl such boxes to the place where the signalis sulated from each other in each box, one in each independent circuit, and mechanism for actuating the circuit breakers for sending a primary signal over one metallic circuitby one circuit breaker and over the other circuit by the other circuit breaker, substantially as set forth.

' 5. The combination Ain asignaling or tire alarm .apparatus of signal boxes,v two independent .closed electric" circuits leading wheelsjacting to send a secondary signal over received, and two circuit breaking devices inthrough all of the boxes tothe place where the signal is received, two circuit breaking devices in cach box and mechanism for actuatingthc same, one of the circuitbreaking devices sending a primary signalgover one electric circuit and the other of such circuit 'breaking devices sending a secondary signal over the other electric circuit, and circuit closing clips and separable telephones or other instruments inthe circuit of the secondary signal, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination in a signaling' or iire alarm' apparatus of two independent metallic electric circuits leading -to the place where the signal is to be received, a signaling box and two circuit breaking springs and Vwheels insulated from each other and mechanism for simultaneously operating the same, one of such lWheels acting to send a' primary signal over one electric circuit andthe otherof such the other electric circuit, anelectromagnet fora bell and a circuit preserving finger keyy in the circuit of the primarysignal, and a telephone in the circuit of the secondary signal, substantially as set forth. l

7. The combination in a signaling or firev alarm apparatus of two independent metallic circuits leading to the-place where the signal is to be received, a signaling box andtwo cir- -cutv breaking springs and wheels insulated' from 'each other and mechanism for simultaneously operating the same,` onel of Vsuch -is to be received, a signaling box vandtwo circuit' breaking springs and wheels insulated from each other and mechanism for opera .ingthe sama-onset such wheels acting t send a primary signal over one electric'cir-l cuit and the other of such wheels acting to lod .fos

send asecondary signal overv the other e1ectric circuit-andl -a second signaling instru- IIO ment in the. second circuit -substantially as Aset forth.

-Signed by me this 21st day of` February, 1893.

j JOHN ELLIOT SMITH. `Witnesses: A l l GEO. T. .PINCKNEL WILLIAM G. Mo'rr. 

